Heartbeat
by StrawberrySilver
Summary: Redpaw, a young Rainclan warrior, quickly adjusts to life in a warrior clan. She quickly learns the power of love, and finds herself caught in a romance that has her completely captivated. But after a tragic accident, her whole world is turned upside-down. How will she cope? Rated T for romance, blood, and death.
1. Chapter 1

"May all cats old enough to catch their prey gather around the Dust Rock!"

Just as the morning sun peeked over the high expanse of rock that served as the Rainclan camp, a sturdy cat stood on top of a large, flat rock. His thick fur couldn't hide the muscle definition of his form, rippling with every move he made. Everything about him was _powerful_ , from the way his ears were pricked forward to the gleam of his dark eyes to the way his tail was held out behind him. His pelt was a dark brown, almost black, with tints of a dark reddish color in it. He stood, still as the stone around him, waiting.

As soon as his voice finished echoing off the rocks, cats of all shapes and colors emerged from concealed caves, blinking the last traces of sleep from their eyes. Battle-scarred, hardened warriors padded briskly over, while smaller, _fluffier_ apprentices stumbled out uncertainly, murmuring softly to their comrades.

The cats formed a loose semicircle around the rock, leaving plenty of room for the large cat standing on top. He watched the clan assembling with an air of superiority, his eyes calculating everything and missing nothing. He was a hawk, inspecting the clan for any sign of weakness or vulnerability. When, at last, the clearing was full of cats, he spoke again.

"Rainclan, we are gathered here today to celebrate the next step to becoming a warrior." He paused, eyes glittering as they searched the soul of every cat present. "It is time that two kits are given this honor." Again, his eyes searched the gathered cats. This time, they paused on a set of tiny ones. "Bluekit, please step forward."

Bluekit stood, fur fluffed up in excitement. She had a blue-gray pelt that was covered in darker blue patches with light blue marks that traveled up three of her legs, her back left paw, her belly and neck, and finally stretching across her face. She had bright blue eyes as well; shining like someone ripped a few stars from the sky and sprinkled them in her eyes.

The long-furred kit bounded up towards the larger tom, hardly able to contain her excitement. The tom only watched her, dark eyes following her every move.

"Bluekit has reached the age of six moons and is ready to become an apprentice. Her mentor will be Reedstripe. Reedstripe, please step forward."

A senior warrior stood, padding forward towards Dust Rock calmly. His pelt was a medium brown with a darker brown tabby running inside. His front right paw was a lighter brown color, a stark contrast to the rest of him. His eyes were a light amber-brown, portraying little emotion as he joined Bluekit and the tom on Dust Rock.

"Reedstripe, you have mentored several cats to great warriors before. You are a powerful warrior and are feared on the battlefield by the other clans." He paused, turning to Bluekit, dwarfed by the other toms.

"Bluekit, do you promise to do your best to learn and understand everything Reedstripe has to teach you?"

"I do," Bluekit squeaked.

"Reedstripe, do you promise to teach Bluekit to the best of your ability, the warrior code and the skills she will need to become a great warrior?"

"I do," Reedstripe said solemnly.

"Then by the power invested in my by Starclan, I, Darkstar of Rainclan, appoint Bluekit as an apprentice, now Bluepaw. Reedstripe, I hope you will pass down your strength and knowledge to Bluepaw."

Reedstripe turned to his new apprentice. Bluepaw flicked her tail, stretching herself up to reach Reedstripe. The powerful tom bent down, nose touching Bluepaw's. Darkstar nodded, dragging his tail in the white, powdery dust that covered Dust Rock. He flicked his tail in the new mentor and apprentice's direction, covering them in a fine layer of dust.

Darkstar turned back towards the clan, eyes searching the crowd once more. "Redkit, please step forward."

A bouncy kit bolted upright, bounding towards Dust Rock, unable to contain her excitement. Her pelt, a pretty red color with patches of darker and lighter red, was mussed up. The kit paid it no mind, her light red tips to her paws extending halfway up her back legs and stopping at the paws on the front. Her green eyes, full of mischief and fun, stood in stark contrast to her sister's gentle blue ones. Darkstar masked his look of disapproval at the kit's behavior as she clambered up the rock.

"Redkit has reached the age of six moons and is ready to become an apprentice. Her mentor will be Smokewind. Smokewind, please step forward."

A young warrior quickly hid the look of surprise on his face as he stood to approach Darkstar and Redkit. He had smoke-gray fur, interrupted only by his light gray front paws and muzzle. His brown eyes gleamed with anticipation.

"Smokewind, you are a young warrior. Redkit will be your first apprentice. You are quick both with your paws and with your mind."

Turning to Redkit, he said, "Redkit, do you promise to do your best to learn and understand everything that Smokewind has to teach you?"

"I do!" Redkit cried.

"Smokewind, do you promise to teach Redkit, to the best of your ability, the warrior code and the skills she will need to become a great warrior?"

"I do," replied Smokewind nervously.

"Then by the power in me by Starclan, I, Darkstar of Rainclan, appoint Redkit as an apprentice, now Redpaw. Smokewind, I hope you will pass down you speed and intelligence to Redpaw."

Redpaw didn't miss a beat as she hopped up to meet Smokewind's nose. The warrior didn't have time to react as a shower of fine dust covered them both.

"Bluepaw!"

"Redpaw!"

"Bluepaw!"

"Redpaw!"

The clan cheered for the new apprentices, under the watchful eye of Darkstar. Bluepaw stood next to Reedstripe, awed and humbled by the clan's acceptance and the realization of how drastically her life was about to change.

Redpaw felt so such thing as she puffed her chest out with pride, basking in the glory of being the clan's focus at the moment. She hardly glanced at Smokewind as she met the eye of every cat below her. For a brief second, gone so fast it was hardly there, she felt like Redstar, the leader she knew she was destined to become. And then the moment passed, and Darkstar raised his tail for silence.

"May Starclan watch over these apprentices, and over all of Rainclan. This concludes this morning's ceremony." He turned and leapt down from Dust Rock, powerful haunches rippling with muscle.

Redpaw and Smokewind and Bluepaw and Reedstripe hesitated a moment longer, allowing the clan to shout their last congratulations before Reedstripe lead the charge in exiting. Bluepaw followed closely, eager to impress her mentor.

Smokewind followed, pausing to make sure his apprentice was following. She wasn't.

"Redpaw, it's time to leave."

"Just a minute. I wanna enjoy this," she said back, smiling at the clan as they padded away. She couldn't hear the whispers from her perch.

 _"That Redpaw, so much spunk! I love it!"_

 _"Yes, but she has to learn to be disciplined. Warriors can't just go running about anywhere."_

 _"She'll never learn to contain herself. Look at the way she's acting now!"_

 _"Not true! Every new apprentice deserves her day!"_

 _"She's taking it too far!"_

 _"Her energy will make her a great warrior someday, when she's learned the way a warrior behaves."_

 _"Either way, Smokewind has his work cut out for him."_

 _"He can do it."_

 _"Maybe."_

Redpaw soaked up the final rays of attention from the clan before hopping down off the rock after Smokewind. She bounced alongside him, getting underpaw and asking questions about her new role as an apprentice.

"So… what are we planning to do now?"

"Are we gonna go tour the territory?"

"How 'bout battle training? Teach me some battle moves!"

Smokewind cast Redpaw a brown-eyed glance, his brow furrowed in concern.

"I was thinking that you and I could take a trip around the territory today, and then you can, uh, build your nest and stuff. How does that sound?"

"Great!" Redpaw said enthusiastically. She bounced ahead of him, tail flicking back and forth happily. "Can Bluepaw come along?"

"Uh, I was actually thinking that it would be just you and me, y'know, to get to know each other?"

Redpaw nodded, half-listening. She watched, fascinated, as Darkstar assigned the patrols with the deputy, Leafpelt. Groups of warriors trotted out of the camp, laughing and joking with each other. Apprentices tagged along behind their mentors, often in a group of their own.

"Redpaw, are you listening to me?" Smokewind cried, exasperated.

Wrenching her gaze away, Redpaw fixed her emerald orbs on Smokewind. The tom tried to give her a stern look, but even he knew that he didn't have it in him. He turned away from her, watching the last dawn patrol depart for their various activities, from hunting to border patrol to training. He hesitated a moment, then beckoned Redpaw with his tail, padding towards the exit tunnel.

The red patched apprentice bounded after him, fluffy pelt even more mussed up than before. Smokewind crouched down, slim frame squeezing through the tunnel with practiced ease. Redpaw bounced at his heels, following him through. She didn't have to duck like he did, her size serving her well as she pushed forward eagerly.

After what felt like eons, Redpaw emerged from the dark tunnel to the dappling light from the dappling forest around her. The sun shone gently through the leafy canopy above her head, the soft light warming her fur and giving everything a magical quality. She unsheathed her claws and ran them though the soft earth beneath her paws, so different from the gritty sand that made up the floor of the camp. Emerald eyes wide, she watched a bird flit through the trees. Its song sparked something within her, and she had a desire to chase the blue bird. Instead, she turned around to examine the tunnel behind her. Reinforced with brambles, the camp was hidden from sight.

Focusing back on the new world she found herself in, Redpaw, inhaled deeply. The air was cleaner outside than inside, sweeter somehow. The delicious scent of prey combined with all the different plants around to create a scent that was both familiar and brand new. Redpaw felt, deep in her bones, that she had smelled it before. The delectable smell accompanied any cat coming in from outside, but it was something more than that. _I belong here._

She stood, basking in the overload on her senses, silent for once in her life. Gradually, everything faded away as she closed her eyes and _breathed._ The sweet air flooded her lungs, and her ears twitched with every little sound. The scuffle of prey in the bushes. The rustle of wind in the leaves. That same wind caught a bit of her fur, trying to take her fur with it on its long journey, tugging at her so gently that Redpaw hardly noticed. Even the _wind_ was different outside. Inside, the wind whistled lifelessly throughout the camp, picking up the gritty sand and throwing it in the kit's eyes. Warriors didn't notice, because the wind hardly ever got strong enough to throw that much sand that high, but the kits _did_ notice. The sand stung their eyes and noses, embedding itself in their pelts.

Out here, the wind was wild and free, gentle and stormy, calm and playful all at once. A shiver of happiness ran down Redpaw's spine, sending chills throughout her whole body. She turned around, looking into Smokewind's brown eyes. His eyebrows were arched, eyes twinkling with amusement. He grinned when he saw her looking at him.

"Breathtaking, huh?"

Redpaw nodded, only then realizing that she had been holding her breath as though she thought she could forever preserve the wonder of this moment within her earthly body.

Smokewind purred. "How does seeing the rest of the territory sound?"


	2. Chapter 2

"That's the stream. It winds throughout the whole territory. If you get lost, just follow the stream back to the camp," Smokewind said, flicking his tail towards the clear stream just ahead. Redpaw nodded, bounding over to it. The stream gurgled softly, the melodic sound of running water soothing to Redpaw's ears. Tentatively, Redpaw bent down, gazing at her reflection. Although distorted and warped, she looked different than she had in the stagnant puddles back at camp. Bigger, stronger somehow.

Purring, Redpaw flicked out her tongue to take a drink.

She gasped. "It's _cold!_ " The frigid water slid down her throat, and Redpaw turned around to look at Smokewind. The tom stood a distance away, laughing.

"It's _fresh,_ " he said.

And Redpaw agreed. The water was distinctively _different_ from the puddles and moss of camp. She stuck out her tongue again, lapping eagerly at the stream. She stood, water dripping from her whiskers, and padded over to Smokewind.

He laughed, gesturing with his tail for her to follow. Redpaw shook her head quickly, sending drops of water arching through the air, catching the light in a dazzling way. Smokewind was a few tail-lengths ahead of her, and the eager apprentice broke out into a small trot to catch up.

"Take a whiff here, Redpaw," Smokewind meowed, stopping abruptly. Redpaw halted, sticking her nose up in the air as though it would help her. She inhaled deeply, tasting the air. Something slightly like the stream they had left filled the air, although it was different somehow.

"All I scent is the stream," Redpaw stated, sniffing some more.

"That's alright," Smokewind. "It's easy for me to scent because I'm used to smelling for it. Let's get a little closer." He padded away, heading in the direction of the stream-but-not-stream scent. Redpaw followed, demoralized at her inability to scent what Smokewind wanted her to scent. She half-heartedly sniffed the air ever other step, trying to please Smokewind.

Finally, Smokewind came to a halt again. His nose was slightly wrinkled in disgust as he inhaled deeply. "Try now, Redpaw," he said.

Redpaw, desperate for approval and success, sniffed as deeply as she could, feeling as though her lungs might explode. She coughed. Gagged. Wheezed.

"What _is_ that?" she cried, shaking her head disgustedly.

Smokewind let out a _mrrow_ of laughter. "That's Lakeclan," he said. "They live on a small, marshy island close to the shore of the lake just over that way. They eat fish; that's what you're scenting from their scent markers. This is the border to their territory."

Redpaw scented the air again, trying to imprint this scent in her mind forever. She nodded. "I'll shred any cat that crosses that border!"

"Just make sure you don't cross it yourself," meowed Smokewind sternly. "We don't want to cause unnecessary trouble."

"I won't," Redpaw promised.

"Good. Let's follow the border a ways so you learn it. I'll point out the landmarks as we go."

Smokewind set off at a brisk pace, forcing tiny Redpaw to trot to keep up. Smokewind was silent as he walked, a lone gray shadow, whereas Redpaw was loud. Her paws crinkled every leaf, snapped every branch, and her pelt got stuck in every bush they passed. By the time the pair met up with the stream again, Redpaw was panting heavily.

"Need a drink?" Smokewind asked. Redpaw only nodded, bowing her head to savor the delicious freshness that accompanied the clear stream.

"I thought we already passed the stream," Redpaw noted, lapping at the water greedily.

"We did," Smokewind confirmed, nodding his head once. "The stream winds throughout the whole territory. If you ever get lost out here, just follow the stream and you're sure to run into the camp eventually."

Redpaw rolled her eyes away from Smokewind so he wouldn't see. Who did he think she was, a tiny kit in the nursery? She wasn't about to _get lost._ She didn't need to _follow_ the _stream._ How dumb. She smirked at her reflection in the stream before standing, lashing her tail. "Let's go!" she said.

Smokewind laughed, taking off at the same quick pace as before. Redpaw followed, eager to prove herself once again. It wasn't for another few minutes before they came upon the next major landmark.

"What do you smell?" Smokewind asked.

"Not like Lakeclan," Redpaw observed, "but a scent marker. Whose is it?"

"Swiftclan," Smokewind said with a growl.

Redpaw felt her hackles raise. Swiftclan was Rainclan's greatest enemy. The stinky, territory-stealing, prey-snatching, fox-hearted cats were always fighting with Rainclan, whether it be over prey or over territory.

"Swiftclan lives in the meadows, moors, and plains over there. It's pretty flat, so whenever another clan tries to attack them, they Swiftclan cats see them coming. Not to mention all the cats over there are exceptionally fast. They hunt rabbits and such, so they have to be. Never turn your back on any enemy, but especially don't turn your back on a Swiftclan warrior. They will kill you without thinking twice," Smokewind said.

"I'll claw their pelts off," Redpaw snarled.

"No reason to get upset," Smokewind said sternly. "They haven't done anything for a while. Just be cautious, and never impede on their territory. We don't want to give them a _reason_ to attack us."

Redpaw nodded again, wrinkling her nose at the border before bounding after Smokewind as he padded away. The two walked a while longer, enjoying the weather. Smokewind called out everything they passed.

"That's where the stream curves away, and over there is a clump of oak trees. You can usually catch loads of mice and voles in there if you want, but it's a little close to Swiftclan to be for a younger apprentice unless you're with a warrior. In fact, for a while at least, you'll want to give this whole side of the territory a wide birth."

"Huh? I can't even be on my own territory for fear of the fox-brained Swiftclan crow-food eaters of attacking me?"

"Not necessarily. You don't know the territory so well yet, so it's just best for you to stay close to me and the camp for a while. It's nothing personal, we just don't want a young apprentice unintentionally starting a war with Swiftclan."

Redpaw didn't respond. _I would never cross the border, and I'll claw the face off of any warrior who tries to come on_ our _lands! I can handle myself just fine, Smokewind. I'll show you, sometime soon. I'm not some weak-minded kit in the nursery, you know._

Smokewind gave Redpaw a toothy grin before padding away, smoke-gray pelt blending easily in with the shadows of the trees. Redpaw followed, sulking at her mentor's apparent lack of faith in her abilities as a warrior.

The pair walked along the Swiftclan border for a while longer, Redpaw mapping out the invisible line in her head and committing the stench to memory. After what seemed like an eternity, Smokewind turned away from the thinning treeline of Swiftclan and leaped into the underbrush, disappearing. Eager for some _real_ action, Redpaw followed.

Smokewind was waiting for her on the other side, and one nod from his brown eyes was all she got before he took off again, weaving in and out of the trees easily. Redpaw bounded after him, wide green eyes watching him effortlessly navigate the vast Rainclan territory.

This time, Redpaw scented the foul odor before Smokewind asked her to try to. "What _is_ that?" she asked, halting.

Smokewind purred. "Good scenting, Redpaw!" he said, flicking his tail. "Let's get a little closer though, so I can show you the border." Redpaw nodded, pelt fluffed out in pride. She trotted after Smokewind, who slowed to a halt after only a few tail-lengths of walking.

"This is the Shadeclan border," Smokewind explained. "See how close together the trees are over there? They provide shadows and places of darkness for the Shadeclan cats to hide in. Most of them are dark-pelted, so it's a perfect place for them."

"I'll turn any Shadeclan cat who crosses the border into crowfood!"

"While I admire your enthusiasm, you've said that to _all_ the cats in _any_ other clan. I respect your eagerness to defend your territory, but staying alive might be a better strategy."

Redpaw bristled.

"As I was saying, Shadeclan is pretty private. They don't come out to fight much, but when they do, they're strong and ruthless. The only major time a Shadeclan cat is seen is at the Gatherings, but you might see a patrol pass by the border. Usually they'll just keep going and ignore you, unless you cross the border, so don't do that. And don't taunt them. We really, _really_ don't want to fight that battle."

Redpaw stayed silent, still fuming at Smokewind's implication that she couldn't handle herself in a fight against another clan. _"Staying alive might be a better strategy",_ she thought to herself. _What a bunch of crowfood. I can't believe he would say that! I'll show him…_

"C'mon, Redpaw," Smokewind called. "There's still a bit of territory to explore." Grumbling, Redpaw leapt into the underbrush after her mentor.

Smokewind showed her the pond, the huge oak tree, the maples, the rock pile, and anything else of any significance he could show her. By the time the pair trudged back to camp, Redpaw had to admit to herself that she was exhausted. The territory was so _big!_ She had no idea that there was that much _out there_. A thrill of excitement still went through her whenever she thought about it.

"Go ahead and build your nest," Smokewind said. "The apprentice's den is right over there. Familiarize yourself with the camp, maybe try to make friends with the older apprentices. Just don't get underpaw. If a warrior asks you to do something, do it, no matter what it is. I have to go on a few patrols, so I won't be back for a little. Try to stay awake, it'll help get used to your new schedule." He turned to walk towards the Dust Rock where Darkstar was preparing to leave with a small patrol. "Oh, and get something to eat!" he called as he bounded out of camp with Darkstar.

Redpaw simply stood in the middle of camp, watching her mentor leave. The sand underfoot was less gritty than she remembered, and was actually _soft_ and comfortable. She yawned. Smokewind had said not to sleep. She shook her head, clearing it of most of the cobwebs. After a moment's hesitation, she padded into the apprentice's den.

Inside, the den was well-lit, but still dark enough to sleep in if you so chose. There were only a few nests that appeared to be occupied, but plenty of old, drying moss in already dug-out places. Redpaw padded in, sniffing around the den. She finally selected an open-ish area with room for two nests, hers and Bluepaw's.

Redpaw scooped the sand into the already-dug hole in the floor, smoothing everything over. She wanted the nest to be new, belonging only to her. When she left the apprentice's den, she knew she'd be ripping out the nest.

She then sheathed her claws so she wouldn't get sand in them and began scooping out pawfuls of sand. She dug a deeper basin that most of the other nests have, and then curled up inside. _Perfect._ Her body was beneath the wall of sand around her, with only the top of her back and head visible when she slept. Standing, the red apprentice stepped carefully from her nest.

Redpaw trotted outside the camp, going through the rock and bramble tunnel and emerging on the other side. She bounded over to the nearest source of moss and sniffed it. Dry, due to a few days lack of rain. She tentatively unsheathed her claws and began gently scraping the moss from the tree, careful not to rip it. She set it down in a pile, then went off to find more. When she had finished, she had a large pile of soft moss ready for use. Barely able to carry it all, Redpaw trotted back into camp.

In the apprentice's den, Redpaw set the moss down inside her nest. Carefully, so as not to disturb the perfect walls, she began placing the moss across the sides to prevent sand in her fur. She put a thick layer along the bottom of her nest to cushion her when she slept. When the last piece was in place, she crawled into her nest, turned three circles, and lay down.

Redpaw furrowed her brow. She stood, padding out of the den and then out of camp, heading into the woods again. She brought back more moss to line her nest with, and then tried to curl up again. _Perfect._ She sighed in contentment, purring softly. Her eyelids began to droop, and she wondered if maybe, just maybe, Smokewind would even have to know if she took a nap…

 _No._

She stood, shaking herself, and bounded out of the den.

 ** _Hello, I'm StrawberrySilver... and this is Hearbeat! The first few chapters of any fic are boring, so just bear with me, 'kay? Anyway, this story is all about Redpaw and her journey through life as a warrior. Probably a stand-alone, unless my brain comes up with something nutsy that has to go in a sequel!_**

 ** _Thank you for reading this, please leave a review with comments, suggestions, critiques, or new ideas! I love reading them all!_**

 ** _Hugs!_**


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